While Chelsea stayed six points behind league leaders Arsenal, it was hard not to notice how well they played in their 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Even after going down to ten men following Moises Caicedo’s red card, the Blues continued to take the game to Mikel Arteta’s side.
Despite being pegged back after Trevoh Chalobah’s early second-half goal, the home team still posed a threat and seemed capable of snatching an unlikely result against the Gunners.
In that context, one player was vital to the Blues’ display, catching the eye of former Chelsea stars abroad.
Thiago Silva and Willian praise Reece James after Chelsea vs Arsenal
Theo Walcott highlighted Reece James’ ability to play in multiple positions, even with Maresca having previously received criticism for deploying him in a midfield role.
And Walcott was not alone in hailing the 25-year-old. Both Thiago Silva and Willian were among those impressed with his display, posting their praise on Instagram after the final whistle.
James received further praise from Marc Cucurella and Jamie Gittens, while Alejandro Garnacho weighed in by calling him ‘world-class’ in the comments section.
Much of the pre-match talk focused on Caicedo versus Declan Rice, but it was James who stood out with the most complete midfield performance of the day.
Reece James not expected to start against Leeds
Maresca’s decision-making around James has been cautious, and rightly so. It has been over a year since the captain last dealt with a major injury, and there is no sense in rushing him back.
The manager has managed James’ minutes well so far, easing him back into action rather than overloading him straight away. That approach is not changing anytime soon, especially with fixtures piling up.
Maresca has already said that James will not be playing a full 90 minutes against Leeds, which gives someone else a chance to stake their claim for more regular minutes in midfield.
With Romeo Lavia still sidelined, this looks like a good opportunity for Andrey Santos to finally get a consistent run in the team.
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